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Article|11 Jul 2024|OPEN
Genomic data provides insights into the evolutionary history and adaptive differentiation of two tetraploid strawberries
Hanyang Lin1,2 , Luxi Chen2 , Chaonan Cai2 , Junxia Ma2 , , Junmin Li1,2 and Tia-Lynn Ashman3 , Aaron Liston4 , Ming Dong,5
1School of Advanced Study, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China
2Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China
3Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
4Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
5Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
*Corresponding author. E-mail: lijm@tzc.edu.cn

Horticulture Research 11,
Article number: uhae194 (2024)
doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhae194
Views: 1113

Received: 14 Mar 2024
Accepted: 05 Jul 2024
Published online: 11 Jul 2024

Abstract

Over the decades, evolutionists and ecologists have shown intense interest in the role of polyploidization in plant evolution. Without clear knowledge of the diploid ancestor(s) of polyploids, we would not be able to answer fundamental ecological questions such as the evolution of niche differences between them or its underlying genetic basis. Here, we explored the evolutionary history of two Fragaria tetraploids, Fragaria corymbosa and Fragaria moupinensis. We de novo assembled five genomes including these two tetraploids and three diploid relatives. Based on multiple lines of evidence, we found no evidence of subgenomes in either of the two tetraploids, suggesting autopolyploid origins. We determined that Fragaria chinensis was the diploid ancestor of F. corymbosa while either an extinct species affinitive to F. chinensis or an unsampled population of F. chinensis could be the progenitor of F. moupinensis. Meanwhile, we found introgression signals between F. chinensis and Fragaria pentaphylla, leading to the genomic similarity between these two diploids. Compared to F. chinensis, gene families related to high ultraviolet (UV)-B and DNA repair were expanded, while those that responded towards abiotic and biotic stresses (such as salt stress, wounding, and various pathogens) were contracted in both tetraploids. Furthermore, the two tetraploids tended to down-regulate defense response genes but up-regulate UV-B response, DNA repairing, and cell division gene expression compared to F. chinensis. These findings may reflect adaptions toward high-altitude habitats. In summary, our work provides insights into the genome evolution of wild Fragaria tetraploids and opens up an avenue for future works to answer deeper evolutionary and ecological questions regarding the strawberry genus.